Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is thrilled to present three outstanding authors in 2015. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries will present Maureen Corrigan, Rainbow Rowell, and Piper Kerman in free events at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center.

Maureen Corrigan will open this year’s series on Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. Corrigan is one of America’s most trusted and loved book critics. For more than 20 years, Corrigan has been the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air. She is also a columnist for The Washington Post and the critic-in-residence at Georgetown University where her courses are very popular, as well as a critic for The Village Voice. She is the author of two books of her own; Leave me Alone I’m Reading and So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why it Endures, which was named one of the ten best books of the year by Library Journal in 2014. Aside from her writings for The Washington Post and The Village Voice, Corrigan has also written reviews for The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Nation among others. She is an associate editor of and contributor to Mystery and Suspense Writers and the winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for Criticism. In 2012 she served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. (Register for Corrigan.)

Rainbow Rowell will continue the series on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. Rowell is the New York Times bestselling author of Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Attachments. Her latest book, Landline, received the Goodreads Choice Award for best fiction in 2014. Her work spans the young adult and adult genres, appealing to people of all ages. Formerly a columnist and ad copywriter at the Omaha World-Herald, Rowell’s two young adult novels, Eleanor & Park and Fangirl were released in 2013 and both were named by The New York Times as among the best young adult fiction of the year. (Register for Rowell.)

Piper Kerman will finish the series on Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m. Kerman is the author of the best-selling memoir Orange is the New Black, which was adapted into a critically-acclaimed series of the same name. The memoir chronicles what the author calls her “crucible experience”, the 13-months she spent in the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. Since her release, Kerman has worked tirelessly to promote the cause of prison and criminal justice reform. (Register for Kerman.)

Alternately, patrons may send an email to events@crlibrary.org.

All Out Loud! authors will take questions from the audience and sign books following their presentations.

Members of Friends of CRPL and Friends of Marion Library are invited to a “Meet and Greet” reception with Maureen Corrigan, Friday, June 12th from 6-6:45 in the atrium at Hotel Kirkwood, prior to her reading. Wine and soda will be served. The event is free to Friends members; or join at the door to attend if you are not already a member (cash and check only). Register in advance.

Do you want the chance to introduce one of your favorite authors? Broadcast your fandom by submitting your video telling us why YOU should be the one to introduce the author and you could win the opportunity of a lifetime. Complete rules and submission guidelines can be found at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud/yououtloud.

More information about the Out Loud! Author Series is available at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is supported by the Giacoletto Foundation with media support from The Gazette and event book sales provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Additional support is provided by Hills Bank & Trust Co., Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, Friends of the Marion Public Library, Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series will conclude this Friday night at 7 p.m. with bestselling author Elizabeth Berg presenting at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries previously presented Sarah Vowell and Wally Lamb to capacity audiences.

Elizabeth Berg, one of America’s most beloved chroniclers of female friendship, has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Her latest book, the New York Times bestselling Tapestry of Fortunes is about a motivational speaker who isn’t great about taking her own advice but finally does.

Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Bookseller’s Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. She has been translated into 27 languages.

Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook, and the New York Times Magazine. She has also taught a writing workshop at Radcliffe College. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts. For more information on Elizabeth Berg, visit www.elizabeth-berg.net.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration in order to gauge audience size—seating is general admission and not guaranteed. To register, visit http://bit.ly/OutLoud and navigate to the event date. Alternately, patrons may contact any of the Metro Libraries or send an email to events@crlibrary.org.

All Out Loud! authors will take questions from the audience and sign books following their presentations.

More information about the Out Loud! Author Series is available at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is supported by the Giacoletto Foundation with media support from the Gazette and event book sales provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Additional support comes from Hills Bank and Trust, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, the Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, the Friends of the Marion Public Library, OPN Architects, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series will continue this Friday night at 7 p.m. by presenting bestselling author Wally Lamb at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries will also present Elizabeth Berg in a free event July 18.

Wally Lamb is the author of four New York Times best-selling novels: Wishin’ and Hopin’, The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much is True, and She’s Come Undone and was twice selected for Oprah’s Book Club. His fifth novel is We Are Water. Lamb also edited Couldn’t Keep It to Myself and I’ll Fly Away, two volumes of essays from students in his writing workshop at York Correctional Institution, a women’s prison in Connecticut, where he has been a volunteer facilitator for the past 14 years.

Lamb’s first two novels, She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, were # 1 New York Times bestsellers, New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and featured titles of Oprah’s Book Club. I Know This Much Is True was a Book of the Month Club main selection and the June 1999 featured selection of the Bertelsman Book Club, the national book club of Germany. Between them, She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True have been translated into 18 languages.

Lamb’s third novel, The Hour I First Believed, explores chaos theory by interfacing several generations of a fictional Connecticut family with such nonfictional American events as the Civil War, the Columbine High School shootings, the Iraq War, and Hurricane Katrina. The book reached #4 on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2009, Lamb published Wishin’ and Hopin’, a comedic look at the year 1964 through the eyes of Felix Funicello, a parochial school fifth grader and a distant cousin of the iconic Annette. Wishin’ and Hopin’, too, was a New York Times bestseller. Lamb’s fifth novel, We Are Water, is an intricate, multi-voiced account of a New England family coming to terms with the past and one another during the first years of the Obama presidency.

Elizabeth Berg, one of America’s most beloved chroniclers of female friendship, will close out the series on Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. Berg has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Booksellers Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. She has been translated into 27 languages.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration in order to gauge audience size—seating is general admission and not guaranteed. To register, visit http://bit.ly/OutLoud and navigate to the event dates. Alternately, patrons may contact any of the Metro Libraries or send an email to events@crlibrary.org.

All Out Loud! authors will take questions from the audience and sign books following their presentations.

More information about the Out Loud! Author Series is available at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is supported by the Giacoletto Foundation with media support from The Gazette and event book sales provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Additional support comes from Hills Bank and Trust, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, the Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, the Friends of the Marion Public Library, OPN Architects, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series kicks off this Friday night at 7 p.m. with renowned non-fiction author Sarah Vowell, who will present at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries will also present Wally Lamb and Elizabeth Berg in free events July 11 and July 18.

Vowell is the New York Times bestselling author of six nonfiction books on American history and culture.  By examining the connections between the American past and present, she offers personal, often humorous accounts of everything from presidents and their assassins to colonial religious fanatics, as well as thoughts on American Indians, utopian dreamers, pop music, and the odd cranky cartographer. Vowell was a contributing editor for Public Radio International’s This American Life from 1996-2008, where she produced numerous commentaries and documentaries and toured the country in many of the program’s live shows. Vowell has made numerous appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Wally Lamb will continue the series on Friday, July 11, at 7 p.m. Lamb is the author of four New York Times best-selling novels: Wishin’ and Hopin’, The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much is True, and She’s Come Undone, and was twice selected for Oprah’s Book Club. His fifth novel is We Are Water, a disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy.

Elizabeth Berg, one of America’s most beloved chroniclers of female friendship, will close out the series on Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. Berg has been on the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times. Durable Goods and Joy School were both selected as one of the American Library Association’s Best Books of the Year. Talk Before Sleep was shortlisted for the Abby (American Bookseller’s Book of the Year). Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club Selection. In 1997, Elizabeth won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work. She has been translated into 27 languages.

While no tickets are required, series organizers are requesting pre-registration. To register, visit http://bit.ly/OutLoud and navigate to the event dates. Alternately, patrons may contact any of the Metro Libraries or send an email to events@crlibrary.org.

All Out Loud! authors will take questions from the audience and sign books following their presentations.

More information about the Out Loud! Author Series is available at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is supported by the Giacoletto Foundation with media support from the Gazette and event book sales provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Additional support comes from Hills Bank and Trust, OPN Architects, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, the Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library, the Friends of the Marion Public Library, and Nancy and Stephen Miller.

Congratulations to fan Betty (BJ) Moeller, who won the opportunity to introduce Sarah Vowell at her Friday night program with this video contest entry.

Thanks again to Hills Bank for sponsoring the contest!

Submit your video and tell us why  YOU should be the one to introduce one of our Out Loud! Authors this summer: Sarah Vowell, Wally Lamb, or Elizabeth Berg.

Your video should make a compelling case for why you should be the one to introduce one of our three 2014 Out Loud! Series Authors—Sarah Vowell, Wally Lamb, and Elizabeth Berg. The Metro Library Network will select the best videos and post them on our Facebook page, where you can vote for your favorite. The top winner for each author will be invited to introduce their selected author at the Out Loud! Author Series this summer.

Contest Rules

• You must be a valid library card holder in the Metro Library Network (consisting of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries).
• Videos will be judged according to the following criteria: creativity, persuasiveness, speaking ability, and engagement.
• Your entry must obey all laws, including all applicable copyright and privacy laws. This also applies to any music samples used in your video.
• You agree to let the Metro Library Network place your entry on respective YouTube channels and Facebook pages, and use your video in its promotional and educational efforts.
• Your video should be no longer than three minutes. Videos longer than three minutes will be disqualified.
• Entries must be submitted by midnight on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, to be eligible. No extensions. Anything submitted after this day will not be considered.
• Entries may not contain commercial, sexually explicit, disparaging, or libelous content; promote any product or service; or contain any trademarks, copyrighted works (including music that is not within the public domain), or other intellectual property not owned by the submitter(s).
• The Metro Library Network reserves the right to reject or return for editing any video that doesn’t comply with these guidelines.

How to submit your video

You may submit your video one of two ways:

Online Submissions

1. Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo.

2. Send an email to outloud@metrolibrarynetwork.org, including:

a. A link to your video
b. Your name and contact information (email and phone)

3. We will send you a confirmation email that we received your video within 24 hours.

Snail Mail or In-Person Submissions

1. Save your video to a CD, DVD, or flash drive

2. Put it in an envelope addressed to Cedar Rapids Public Library, ATTN: Out Loud! 450 5^th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52401. Inside the envelope, please include:

a. Your name
b. Your contact information (email and phone)

3. Submissions must be postmarked on or before June 11, 2014.

4. In-person submissions need to be delivered to the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 5^th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52401, by 9:00 pm on June 11, 2014.

Contest Timeline

• Deadline for submitting videos: Midnight, Wednesday, June 11, 2014 (9:00 pm for in-person submissions)
• Metro Library Network selects finalists: June 12-15, 2014.
• Videos posted on the Metro Library Network’s Facebook page for popular voting: Monday, June 16, 2014 – Friday, June 20, 2014 at 4 pm.
• Winners contacted by June 22, 2014.

Judging

Entries will be reviewed for eligibility and compliance with the contest rules. A panel of judges drawn from within the Metro Library Network will judge the entries on the following criteria:

• Creativity: 30%
• Persuasiveness: 30%
• Speaking Ability: 30%
• Engagement: 10%

Questions? For more information, contact: Amber Mussman, Cedar Rapids Public Library, mussmana@crlibrary.org or (319) 261-READ.

Download the YouOutLoudFlyer.